The Maldives and Russia have agreed to increase flight frequencies operated by Russian airlines, as the two countries seek to strengthen air connectivity and support further growth in tourist arrivals from one of the Maldives’ largest source markets.
Tourism and Civil Aviation Minister Mohamed Ameen announced the development following talks with Russian State Secretary and Deputy Minister of Transport Dmitry Zverev during an official visit to Russia.
In a post on X, Ameen said discussions focused on strengthening aviation cooperation between the two countries, with both sides agreeing to expand connectivity and increase the frequency of services operated by Russian carriers.
Further details, including the airlines involved, potential new frequencies and when additional services could begin, have not yet been announced.
Ameen travelled to Russia on Sunday as part of a high-level Maldivian delegation visiting Moscow and St. Petersburg to engage directly with government authorities and the Russian travel industry.
The delegation includes senior representatives from the Ministry of Tourism and Civil Aviation, Visit Maldives Corporation (VMC), Maldives Airports Company Limited (MACL), national carrier Maldivian and private tourism businesses.
Bringing together government agencies, the airport operator, an airline and tourism industry representatives is intended to allow discussions to cover several areas simultaneously, ranging from aviation policy and additional flight capacity to destination marketing and travel packages.
As part of the visit, the delegation is scheduled to meet major tour operators, travel trade partners, industry associations, digital platforms and hospitality sector representatives in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
For MACL, the visit also provides an opportunity to engage existing and prospective airline partners on increasing capacity to Velana International Airport, strengthening year-round connectivity and exploring potential new direct services.
The push for additional flights comes as Russia continues to rank among the Maldives’ most important tourism markets.
As of Monday, 197,863 Russian tourists had visited the Maldives so far this year, accounting for 14.7 percent of all international arrivals.
That makes Russia the country’s second-largest source market in 2026.
The Maldives received 278,761 Russian visitors during the whole of 2025, demonstrating the scale of the market and its importance to resorts and the wider tourism industry.
Russian travellers have maintained a strong presence in the Maldives in recent years, supported by direct air connectivity and sustained demand for the destination.
Increasing flight frequencies could provide additional seat capacity between the two countries and support efforts to attract more Russian visitors, particularly as the tourism industry moves towards the high-demand winter travel season.
The Russia visit is part of a wider strategy by Maldivian authorities to engage major tourism markets directly while working to ensure air connectivity grows alongside visitor demand.
A similar high-level delegation travelled to China in July, holding meetings with airlines, tour operators and travel companies in Beijing, Shanghai and Chengdu.
Those discussions focused on strengthening destination promotion, developing travel packages for Chinese travellers and expanding air connectivity between China and the Maldives.
Attention has now turned to Russia, where the latest agreement to increase flight frequencies represents an early outcome of the ongoing visit.
With Russia already contributing nearly 200,000 visitors this year, the government is seeking to build on existing demand through additional airline capacity and closer cooperation with Russian tourism and aviation partners.
